Email virus

[mariner2]

I seem to have an email virus that is sending out loads of spam from me to random addresses, and consequently I get hundreds of "mail delivery failed" or blocked by other people's spam filters that protect them against bulk emails.
My anti-virus program (anti virus shield) can't see anything amiss, I wonder what it is and how to get rid?

[vehelpfulguy]

Your system may have been hijacked

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3528810. stm

If you have not done so already, install an anti-virus program and a firewall.

AVG is a good free anti-virus and Zone Alarm is a good free Firewall.

You could also instal Spybot Search and Destroy which is free, plus Adaware which is free.

If you install and run those 4 free programs maybe one of them will find your problem.

[vehelpfulguy]

Note, those 4 products I mentioned above ARE all free, but the companies do SELL software as well so make sure you download the FREE versions.

[mariner2]

This sounds like my problem (I've just had 413 bounce-back emails at 7pm tonight when I last checked for emails at 4.30pm)
I used to have zone alarm and AVG but got rid of them in favour of this new one, but I'll change back I think.
Do I keep trying different anti virus programs until one finds something and zaps it?
thanks for your help

[vehelpfulguy]

Note that a firewall and an anit-vius are NOT the same thing.

Anti-Virus scans your computer for infected files or files linked to viruses. Make sure you keep your virus list up to date before running the virus.

A Firewall checks every program that wants to go OUT to the internet, and come in FROM the interent.

When you first install a firewall it should ask you EVERY time a program wants to go out or come in. Only if you are sure it is a valid program should you say yes. If not say no.

Spybot Search and Destroy is a program that looks for spyware and other rogue programs. It is a BIT like an anti-virus but not quite the same.

Adaware also looks for spyware.

You should only run 1 anti-virus program at a time, and 1 firewall at a time.

You can run as many different spyware programs as you like.

[mariner2]

Right, this is now serious!
687 bounce-back junk emails this morning, how do I get rid of it?

[rojash]

You can receive bounce messages on a perfectly healthy system, in one of two ways.

1. Some other machine(s) is sending emails and spoofing your address for the return address. In this case the bounces will come to you even though they have nothing to do with you.
2. they are not true bounces, but spam or viruses dressed up to look like bounces, in the hope that you will open them to see why they bounced.

If you have decent AV, Anti Spyware and Firewall, then these are much more likely explanations for your problem. The best answer is a good spam filter.

My spam filter (Mailwasher Pro) filters around 600 fake bounces per day, most of which are well-known.